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Isaac II of Byzantium
Isaac II of Byzantium (September 1156-January 1204) was Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1185 to 1195 and from 1203 to 1204, succeeding Andronicus I of Byzantium and preceding Alexius III of Byzantium. Biography Coup against Andronicus Isaac was born in September 1156, the son of Andronikos Doukas Angelos. He served in Andronicus I of Byzantium's army, but he took part in a rebellion against him; he was not punished, and allowed to stay in Constantinople. He lived an aristocratic lifestyle there, but he lived in dark times; the emperor faced rebellions against his rule, and the people hated him due to rumors that an image of Saint Paul was shedding tears over his rule, as well as due to a prophecy told by a court soothsayer that said that Andronicus' successor would have the first initial of "I". On 11 September 1185, Stephen Hagiochristophorites was sent to arrest him, and Isaac decided to charge his attackers and die fighting. However, he hacked Hagiochristophorites' head off, and he told the people of Constantinople of his deed, leading to him being crowned as the new Emperor of the Byzantine Empire]. On 12 September, Andronicus was captured while trying to flee the city on a boat, and he was executed by Isaac, who took power for himself. Emperor of Byzantium Isaac strengthened his position by making several dynastic marriages, marrying Margaret of Hungary and having his close relatives marry other powerful people. On 7 November 1185, he defeated William II of Sicily at the Battle of Demetritzes, and Isaac increased taxes to pay for his army. This led to an uprising in Bulgaria that led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and the winning general at Demetritzes, Alexios Branas, took up arms against his master rather than fight the Bulgarians. He was slain while attempting to take Constantinople. Next, Isaac focused on fighting against the crusaders. Frederick Barbarossa was initially given permission to move through Anatolia, but Isaac tried to impede his path and attempted to ally with Saladin, but Barbarossa seized Philippopolis and defeated a 3,000-strong Byzantine army that sought to recapture the city. In the spring of 1190, Isaac was nearly killed at the Battle of Tryavna by the Bulgarians, and he lost the Second Battle of Arcadiopolis in 1194. In 1195, his brother declared himself Emperor of Byzantium and had Isaac blinded, taking on the name "Alexius III of Byzantium". Sack of Constantinople In 1203, Isaac and his son Alexius IV of Byzantium bribed the Venetians and Frenchmen of the Fourth Crusade to divert to Constantinople and help in overthrowing Alexius III. The crusaders besieged and captured the city after a fierce assault, but Alexius and Isaac were unable to repay the crusaders. The crusader allies and Byzantine subjects of the city both backed away from their allegiance to Isaac and his son Alexius (who was the real ruler, as Isaac was feeble due to years of confinement), and a court official had Alexius IV strangled before declaring himself "Alexius V of Byzantium"; Isaac died of shock upon learning of his son's murder. Category:1156 births Category:1204 deaths Category:Byzantine emperors Category:Byzantines Category:Emperors Category:Greeks Category:Orthodox Christians